Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday asked Election Commission of India (ECI) media and communication officers to remain vigilant against misinformation, false narratives and misleading content circulating on social media, stressing that timely and factual communication is essential to safeguard public trust in the electoral process.
Addressing the second one-day conference for Media and Communication Officers organised by the ECI, Kumar said every action taken by the Commission is rooted in the Constitution, electoral laws and established guidelines.
"Each and every action of the Commission is based on the Constitution of India, electoral laws and written instructions issued from time to time in a transparent manner," he said.
The CEC added that the record voter turnout witnessed in recent Assembly elections reflected the confidence of Indian electors in the country's electoral system.
Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi also addressed the conference, which was attended by more than 260 media and communication officers from across the country.
Joshi warned that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfakes, synthetic media and other misleading material posed a serious challenge to public confidence in democratic institutions.
He urged officers to respond promptly to such misinformation in accordance with the Commission's rules, instructions and guidelines. He also emphasised the need to engage young voters through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) and strengthen voter awareness initiatives.
The conference featured sessions on communication strategies covering the entire electoral cycle, from electoral rolls to polling, along with presentations on ECINET, constitutional provisions and legal issues related to media management.
Officials also received practical training on drafting press releases, disseminating information through traditional and social media, countering misinformation, handling emerging narratives, promoting ECI initiatives and engaging first-time voters through Electoral Literacy Clubs.
The conference brought together Media Nodal Officers (MNOs), Social Media Nodal Officers (SMNOs), District Media Nodal Officers and District Public Relations Officers from 16 participating States and Union Territories, along with senior officials from state public relations departments.
According to the ECI, the event also served as a platform for officers from states that recently held elections to share their experiences and best practices, with the aim of strengthening the Commission's communication strategy and improving public outreach.
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